Ada and Canyon counties, Idaho
Crawl space repair in Star
Star has gone from a small town to one of the fastest-growing places in the valley, and most of its homes are new. Many of them are on crawl spaces built over what used to be irrigated farmland north of the Boise River.
New doesn’t mean dry. A crawl space can take on groundwater or lose its grading in the first few years, and the builder’s plastic is rarely more than the minimum.
What we run into in Star
Water in new homes
Groundwater during irrigation season, especially on lower lots and near laterals.
Grading that settled
Backfill around new foundations settles, and water starts running toward the house instead of away.
New to crawl spaces
If you’ve never owned a house with a crawl space, we explain what we found in plain terms, with photos.
A recent Star job
[A real Star job: neighborhood, what you found, what you did, one photo]Why it’s dry in March and wet in August.
From roughly April to October the canals run full for irrigation. In parts of Star, that pushes the water table up, and it comes into the crawl space from underneath, not through the walls.
Exact dates vary by irrigation district and by year. So does how much it affects a given street.
What that means for you: a crawl space that looks fine at a spring inspection can have standing water by midsummer. If you put a new barrier down without handling that, the water ends up trapped under the plastic.
If yours is wet in summer and dry in winter, it’s probably groundwater, not a leak. That’s the first thing we check. Water removal and sump pumps
What we do in Star
Selling a Star home and the inspector flagged the crawl space? Here’s how home-sale repairs work.
Water removal and sump pumps
Pump it out, find where it comes from, and give it a permanent way out.
Call when: Standing water, wet dirt, or a pump that runs all summer.
Vapor barrier replacement
Pull the old plastic, fix what’s under it, and put down a barrier that’s sealed and fastened.
Call when: Torn, thin, or missing plastic, or an inspector’s note about the barrier.
Crawl space encapsulation
Sealed liner on the ground and walls, vents closed, and the air dried.
Call when: Repeat moisture, ductwork in the crawl space, or you want it done once.
Mold remediation
Clean and treat the framing, then fix whatever kept it wet.
Call when: Dark staining or growth on joists and subfloor, or a musty smell.
Crawl space insulation
New insulation under the floor or on the walls, with old, wet, or damaged insulation pulled out first.
Call when: Cold floors, no insulation at all, or batts hanging down, wet, or torn up by rodents.
